ABB servomotor actuation system assists Australian melt shop

When Australian steelmaker InfraBuild needed two new circuit breakers to provide backup for its main electric arc furnace, ABB had the solution—its VD4-AF vacuum circuit breaker with an innovative servomotor actuation system that delivers more than five times the operations of a standard breaker, supporting greater reliability and safety as well as lower operational costs.

But because this high-performance equipment was based on electronic technology rather than the spring-actuated mechanism of InfraBuild’s aged circuit breaker, the company was cautious.

“Even though it sounded great, we felt things could go wrong because there are a lot of electronics involved, compared to the old mechanical-linkage style of construction, and we needed to hear from others who had already applied the technology,” said Jorge Aguilar, electrical project engineer at InfraBuild in Laverton, Victoria.

InfraBuild recycles, manufactures and distributes steel long products. They are a fully vertically integrated steel manufacturer spanning scrap metal recycling, steel manufacturing and downstream distribution. Steel products include reinforcing bar, reinforcing mesh, tubular and hollow sections, merchant bar and wire products. Internationally, the company owns and operates recycling centers in Poland, the United States and Hong Kong. In addition, they have global scrap metal traders working in India, South Africa, Netherlands, Spain and the UK. They also have a manufacturing facility in Dalian, China.

With a global installed base of more than two million units of the well-known ABB VD4 vacuum circuit breaker product family, ABB had no difficulty finding two similar customers who were able to reassure the Australian steelmaker of the VD4-AF circuit breaker’s performance. “We were pleased with their responses and experience with ABB’s technology and felt reassured that they were very satisfied with the technology,” said Aguilar.

InfraBuild proceeded with orders for two VD4-AF vacuum circuit breakers specifically designed for protecting steel furnaces. The circuit breaker is integrated with the air-insulated single panel UniGear ZS3.2 switchgear, which fits within the footprint of the original equipment.

“Power reliability for this panel was critical,” says Henry Lin, project manager for electrification service at ABB Australia.

VD4-AF is based on servomotor actuators that increase circuit breaker performance up to 10 times compared to standard solutions and reduce operational costs up to 50 percent by ensuring zero downtime for breaker overhaul.